Seed :: Vegetables :: Bhendi
QUALITY SEED PRODUCTION IN BHENDI

Season
March, April and May.

Seed rate

8 - 10 kg/ha.

Pre-sowing seed treatment
Sand matrix priming at 60 % water holding capacity for 3 h.

Spacing:
60 x 20 cm.
 

Fertilizers
Basal: FYM : 25 t/ha; 40 : 50 : 30 Kg NPK kg/ha
Top dressing: 20: 50: 30 kg NPK/ha.
i) 10 kg N/ha at first flowering
ii) 10 kg N/ha 10 days after flowering.

Water Management
Drip fertigation with recommended NPK (40:50:30 kg/ha) as basal application, N and K as drip fertigation

Foliar application
Commencing with first flowering DAP at 0.5 % is sprayed thrice at 10 days interval to enhance the yield of good quality seeds
 

Harvest
Seed attains physiological maturation 28 - 30 days after anthesis. The pods are harvested as picking when they dry and turn brown and develop hairline cracks along the ridges. In bhendi, first formed two pickings can be used for vegetable purpose and the next 6 pickings can be used for seed purpose.

Seed extraction
Harvested pods are dried in the sun for 2 - 3 days and seeds are extracted either using machine thresher or manually by beating with pliable bamboo stick.

Grading
Seeds are graded with 10/64" round perforated metal sieve or BSS 6 x 6 wire mesh sieve (4.2 mm)
 

Upgrading
Bhendi seed posses empty seeds and are removed by water floatation technique, where sinkers are selected as good seeds and are dried well to lower moisture level of 8 per cent.In addition, dark coloured seeds (greyish black) are also to be removed from the lot as these seeds record poor germination .

Seed Yield

700 kg/ha

Pre-storage seed treatment
Seeds dried to 8 % moisture content are  treated with carbendazim 50 %WP @ 2 g /kg seed or halogen formulation (Bleaching powder + CaCO3 + arappu leaf powder @ 5:4:1) @ 3 g/kg seed.

Seed storage
Seed treatment with carbendazim @ 2g/kg + imidachloprid @ 1 ml / kg.Treated seeds can be stored upto 15 months in cloth bag and 24 months in moisture vapour proof containers
 

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